Penalties Galore - 05/29/99

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The 49ers last season were plagued with more penalties then 27 other teams
in the league. This is completely uncharacteristic of the 49ers. It caused
the 49ers to lose games and their composure. Something has to be done.
Steve Mariucci has a plan in place. Already, Jamie Brown, Chuck Levy and
Antonio Langham have been released or traded from the 49ers. These three
players were responsible for the majority of the 49ers penalties.
Coincidence? I think not. The 49ers have a plan in place and it starts this
week in mini-camp.

The plan is for the 49ers to bring in league officials to their practises.
This strategy is something no teams has ever even thought of. The theory is
that the officials will be able to report the penalties to the coaches who
could then work with the players to eliminate the penalty. Furthermore the
officials can report the players that are repeatedly committing the
offences. In the process, the team may not start players that are
repeatedly making mistakes.

This strategy is something completely new to the NFL. As always it is the
49ers heading up the rest of the league with a new concept. If this system
works, look for the 49ers to be the least penalized team in the league next
season. Players will be able to master their position. This is especially
important with defensive backs, who must avoid the pass interference call.
The team may finally learn the exact boundaries of the rules

The other advantage to having officials call penalties at the mini-camps is
that it will force players to try different styles of play. The new style
could further the players skill at their position. It will also be
effective for the rookies who are not used to NFL rules. If this system
works, look for many teams to follow in the upcoming years. In the mean
time, the 49ers are still at the cutting edge of the NFL.